High performance kraft facing for fiberglass insulation

Abstract

A process for preparing a fiberglass insulation product, including the steps of: (a) providing a layer of kraft paper, (b) coating the kraft paper layer with from 2 to 10 pounds of HDPE or of polypropylene per 3000 square feet of the paper to form an HDPE-kraft laminate or a polypropylene-kraft laminate, (c) coating the HDPE-kraft or polypropylene-kraft laminate with from 3 to 10 pounds of LDPE per 3000 square feet of the HDPE-kraft laminate or polypropylene-kraft laminate to form an LDPE-HDPE-kraft laminate or an LDPE-polypropylene-kraft laminate, (d) adjusting the temperature of the LDPE-HDPE-kraft laminate or the LDPE-polypropylene-kraft laminate so that the LDPE becomes tacky while the HDPE or polypropylene remains solid, (e) providing a layer of fiberglass wool, and (f) contacting the LDPE layer of the LDPE-HDPE-kraft laminate or of the LDPE-polypropylene-kraft laminate with the fiberglass wool layer with pressure and cooling to bond the LDPE-HDPE-kraft laminate or LDPE-polypropylene-kraft laminate to the fiberglass wool layer to form a fiberglass insulation product.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A flexible planar laminate comprising layer of kraft paper to which is adhered a vapor barrier layer consisting essentially of high melting point polymer to which is adhered an adhesive layer of low melting point polymer, wherein the water vapor transmission rate for said laminate is under about 1.0 g/h·m 2 . 
     
     
       2. The flexible planar laminate of  claim 1  wherein the high melting point polymer is high density polyethylene (HDPE) or of polypropylene. 
     
     
       3. The flexible planar laminate of  claim 2  wherein the high melting point polymer is low density polyethylene (LDPE). 
     
     
       4. The flexible planar laminate of  claim 3  which comprises from 2 to 10 pounds of HDPE and from 3 to 10 pounds of LDPE per 3000 square feet of kraft paper having a weight of 30 to 50 pounds per 3000 square feet. 
     
     
       5. The flexible planar laminate of  claim 4  which comprises 7 pounds of HDPE and 5 pounds of LDPE per 3000 square feet of kraft paper. 
     
     
       6. The flexible planar laminate of  claim 3  in which the barrier layer is HDPE and the softening point of the LDPE is from 25 to 125° F. lower an the softening point of the HDPE. 
     
     
       7. The flexible planar laminate of  claim 3  in which the barrier layer is polypropylene and the softening point of the LDPE is from 25 to 75° F. lower than the softening point of the polypropylene. 
     
     
       8. A fiberglass insulation product comprising a layer of fiberglass wool and a flexible planar laminate comprising 
       a) an external support layer of kraft paper;  
       b) a central vapor barrier layer of high melting point polymer a adhered to said kraft paper; and  
       c) an internal adhesive layer of low melting point polymer adhered to said central vapor barrier layer;  
       wherein said layer of fiberglass wool is adhered to said internal adhesive layer;  
       wherein the water vapor transmission rate for said laminate is under about 1.0 g/h·m 2 . 
     
     
       9. The fiberglass insulation product of  claim 8  wherein the high melting point polymer is high density polyethylene (HDPE) or polypropylene. 
     
     
       10. The fiberglass insulation product of  claim 9  wherein the low melting point polymer is low density polyethylene (LPDE). 
     
     
       11. The fiberglass insulation product of  claim 10  in wich the flexible planar laminate comprises from 2 to 10 pounds of HDPE and from 3 to 10 pounds of LDPE per 3000 square feet of kraft paper having a weight of 30 to 50 lbs/ft 2 . 
     
     
       12. The fiberglass insulation product of  claim 9  in which the flexible planar laminate comprises 7 pounds of HDPE and 5 pounds of LDPE per 3000 square feet of kraft paper.